Susan Marie Pohle passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on May 10, 2024, devastating the family who was the center of her world.

Sue, 62, grew up in Garfield Heights, Ohio, the only child of Mary and Stephen Oleff. She played flute in marching band and graduated as valedictorian—a fact that embarrassed her every time her mother brought it up (and that is now likely making Sue blush in heaven).

She was smart and dedicated. At Bowling Green State University, a professor once told her organic chemistry class: "Look to your right; now look to your left. Only one of you will be here at the end of the semester." Sue figured it might as well be her. It was.

At BGSU, she made lifelong friends as part of the Alpha Phi sorority. She also met, and fell in love with, her future husband Richard Pohle. She graduated with honors and degrees in chemistry and business administration as a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Sue later went on to get an MBA in marketing from Case Western Reserve University.

She spent the beginning of her career working in chemistry labs before moving into strategic planning, including as an analyst for Ferro Corporation. But she found the most meaning and fulfillment in being a mom to Allison, Eric and Brooke.

Sue was both keeper and creator of family memories, attending every dance competition, hockey game and theater performance. She sent her kids care packages that included items she found on sale, her homemade art projects and sweet treats. There is nothing she loved more than having her family all together. She commemorated these times by asking one of her kids to take a selfie, and then to send it to her right away so she could post it on Facebook.

Sue loved to make people laugh and often sent recordings of Saturday Night Live sketches she found hilarious. She also cracked herself up, telling her amused family: "I'm a funny lady."

She went out of her way to help others. She spent decades volunteering for the PTA when her kids were in Solon schools. Other parents knew her as a warm and witty presence. In recent years, she arranged flowers for BigHearted Blooms and helmed the welcome desk at Rescue Village animal shelter. Dozens of cats found comfort in the hand-tied blankets she created for them. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation had recently recognized Sue as a "Mom on a Mission" for her commitment to fundraising to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

If you asked Sue her favorite flavor, she'd say "blue." She ran out of space in the house for her many art projects, which included paintings, decorative planters and picture frames. She loved the ocean and, for the past few years, spent several winter months in Florida, where she and Rich enjoyed walks on the beach and each other's company.

Sue adored her bearded collies. On "friends and burgers day," a made-up holiday that could occur any day of the year, she treated the pups to McDonald's double cheeseburgers.

She believed in our dreams. She told her family every day that she loved us, and we always said it back.

Her spirit will live on through her husband Rich; daughter Allison and her husband Elias Manzi; son Eric and his fiancée Samantha Singer; and daughter Brooke and her partner AJ Fekete. Many friends and extended family members will also remember her generosity and kindness.

A celebration of her life will be held at the Tanglewood Club in Chagrin Falls, Ohio on Sunday, July 21. Please stop by between 1 and 4 p.m. to share stories with her family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to BigHearted Blooms and/or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.